The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities. In many areas, this light makes it difficult or impossible to observe stars and planets in the night sky.
There are a number of reasons why light pollution is important. One has become clear at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles, California. Today, light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilson very bright. It is no longer an important reasearch center because of light pollution.
Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescoples in other important observatories. They include Lick Observatory near San Jose, California and Yerkes Observatory near Chicago, Illionis.
Light pollution is the result of wasted energy. Bright light that shines into the sky is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth. Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of light pollution. Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause light pollution.
Most people in America are surprised to find out that they are able to see our own galaxy(星系)，the Milky Way, with their own eyes. But about threefourths of Americans cannot see the Miky Way because of manmade light.
Objects in the night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder. But light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen.Light pollution usually occurs________.
| A．in cities | B．in the country |
| C．in wild areas | D．in developing countries |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Mount Wilson Observatory is the most important one in America. |
| B．Light pollution affects observatories only. |
| C．In the dark night people can observe the sky clearly. |
| D．Astronomers can observe the stars clearly by the lights of the cities. |
The victims affected by the light pollution are________.
| A．children | B．grownups | C．students | D．observatories |
Lying on his sickbed in hospital, all 86-year-old Lin Ruiming can do is stare out at a tiny part of sky through the small window. The old man used to ride his motorbike through the busy streets of downtown Beijing. All the while he could only dream of touring the world.
He has been suffering from terminal lymphoma (晚期淋巴瘤) since February. As a last gift, his granddaughter,Lin Yifan,asked China’s Internet population to give her grandfather a shot at globetrotting (环球游). Last week, Lin Ruiming’s image travelled the world, from Sydney Harbor, Australia, to the River Thames in London, UK, and even to a volcano in Auckland, New Zealand.
Lin Yifan, 29, had promised to paint a portrait (画像) of her grandfather, but had almost forgotten her word until the old man got ill. “I had put off the painting for many years because I believed I would have plenty of time to do it,” she said. She spent one evening last week working on a portrait, based on a photo taken on her grandfather’s birthday last year. She posted the portrait on Sina Weibo, and called for Web users to take photos with the portrait in different locations and send them to her on May 11.Over the following five days she received about 20,000 photos, most of which were sent by people she had never met.
She says that her grandfather, while too weak to view all the photos, has said that he is happy. “Thanks to all these helpers, I have become a celebrity (名人) around the world,” the old man joked.The underlined “image” that “travelled the world” actually refers to _______.
| A．a photo the girl had taken of the old man | B．the old man himself |
| C．a painted picture mailed from the post office | D．a portrait of the old man |
Lin Yifan put off painting the portrait mainly because _______.
| A．her grandfather was seriously ill |
| B．she believed she could do it anytime |
| C．she was too busy with her work |
| D．her grandfather wanted to travel himself |
Which is the kind of photo Lin Yifan asked Web users to take and send to her?
Now the old man _______.
| A．is unable to view any pictures |
| B．has friends all over the world |
| C．is pleased with the girl’s effort |
| D．has viewed all the pictures |
News 1
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday delivered a speech at a gathering marking the 15th anniversary of Macao’s return to China. He stressed the importance to strengthen the future-oriented education and upbringing of the young people in Macao, which was striving to address the shortage of human resources.
“We need to strengthen the education and upbringing of young people to ensure that fine tradition of loving the motherland and loving Macao will be carried forward from one generation to another and that the cause of ‘one country, two systems’ will be continuously advanced,” he said.
News 2
China has already built the largest high-speed rail network in the world, and leads especially in making high-speed trains, most of the rail makers are focusing more on enhancing innovation with a view to develop “China-designed” high-speed trains and to transfer technology to overseas countries.
China’s railway investment during the first 10 months of this year rose 37 percent from a year ago to 590 billion yuan, according to the country’s top economic planner.
News 3
Halloween is becoming the third-biggest imported festival after Christmas and Valentine’s Day in China.
As the festival approaches, lots of malls and theme parks have taken the card of “ghost”. All kinds of scary designs and various pumpkin shapes have pushed the festival atmosphere to its prime.
Many themes parks have planned “Halloween night”. In recent years, these kinds of activities have attracted more and more young people.
News 4
Li Yifeng is probably the most sought-after celebrity right now. Since the actor shot to fame with TV series Legend of the Ancient Sword （《古剑奇谭》）, he has been offered the opportunity to participate in a variety of movies and programs. And as the New Year is approaching, Hunan TV, Dragon TV, Zhejiang TV and Jiangsu TV are all fighting to get Li at their New Year gala. However, Li’s representative revealed that Li is sure to appear in Hunan TV’s gala. No plan has been made for Li to take the stage on Dragon TV.In President Xi’s speech, he mainly talked about ________.
| A．the shortage of human resources |
| B．the cause of “one country, two systems” |
| C．the tradition of loving the motherland |
| D．the education of the young people in Macao |
News 2 is likely to be about ________.
| A．politics | B．economy | C．culture | D．entertainment |
Which is the best title for News 3?
| A．The Activities of Halloween |
| B．The Designs of Halloween |
| C．Halloween Night in Theme Parks |
| D．Halloween Gains Popularity in China |
What can we learn from News 4?
| A．Li Yifeng is famous for acting in a TV series. |
| B．Li Yifeng has played leading roles in many films. |
| C．Dragon TV got the chance to interview Li Yifeng. |
| D．Li Yifeng is likely to appear in Zhejiang TV’s gala. |
Does school start too early? Judging from the teenagers who yawn in class, it does. And those students aren’t just lazy. Scientific studies have shown that school does start too early for young students.
According to a series of studies done across the U.S., the later classes begin, the more academic performance improves. Boys and girls naturally stay up later and sleep in later. The trend begins around age 13 or 14 and peaks between 17 and 19.The teens also need more sleep in general, so forcing them to be up early for school cuts into their sleep time as well as their sleep rhythm, making them less ready to learn during those first-period classes.
Practice is proving the science. Hundreds of school districts in the U.S. have experimented with later start times and the academic performance of students has improved as a result. A study of 9,000 high school students in three states showed that grades in science, math, English and social studies all rose when school began at 8:35 or later. What’s more, attendance（出勤）goes up and student depression goes down.
The later school starts, the better the result, too. According to a study, delaying the opening bell from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. paid off more than delaying only until 8:00 a.m. Students who get at least eight hours of sleep, and preferably nine, perform better than those who do not, so a greater delay raises the chances of achieving those numbers.
So, it turns out morning class is just too early for students to learn chemistry equations（方程式）or study an ancient poem. If you cannot change the school schedule, adjusting your own timetable to ensure eight hours’ sleep can also help you perform better at school.If the first period class begins too early, which problems might appear among students?
a. Being in low spirits.
b. Feeling sleepy.
c. Missing lessons frequently.
d. Performing poorly in English.
e. Becoming lazy.
| A．a, b, c | B．b, c, d | C．c, d, e | D．a, b, d |
The writer proves “School starts too early” by ______.
| A．doing survey |
| B．doing experiments |
| C．comparing statistics |
| D．observing students’ behaviour |
According to the article, students can obtain relatively enough sleep by ______.
| A．changing the sleep rhythm |
| B．changing the opening bell |
| C．adjusting their own schedule |
| D．sleeping as late as possible |
It is implied in the passage that in the morning ______.
| A．there should be no classes |
| B．students’ sleep should be guaranteed |
| C．there should be Chinese lessons |
| D．there should be no science lessons |
If your family is thinking of getting a pet, consider adopting from an animal shelter. Animal shelters are full of dogs, cats, rabbits, and more animals, all in need of loving homes. Some may come with emotional or behavioral issues, but most are happy, healthy, and ready for a loving home. Here are some tips for you to find great animals.
Make some decision.
Think about what you want in a pet and remember that all pets have different personalities. Cats tend to be more independent and need less affection, but kittens need lots of attention. Cats don’t need to be walked , but you need to clip their nails and play with them. Dogs need to be walked at the very least twice a day. However , they are usually great companions and love to spend time with their family.
Visit the shelter.
Set aside at least a few hours to visit shelters in your area—remember that you may need to visit more than one visit. Try to bring along everyone who will be living with a new pet. Ask the shelter staff lots of questions. And never adopt an animal because you feel sorry for it—be patient so you find a pet who is truly a good match for your family.
Get everything ready.
Buy all necessary supplies and food well before the animal comes home. Make sure that the entire household is in agreement about rules and responsibilities—will the dog be allowed on the couch? Who will clean the litter box? Put it in writing before the pet arrives.
Bring your new friend home !
You’ll probably be excited when your new pet arrives, but be sure to give them space and time to get adjusted to a new home and a new family. The pet may act differently once they leave the shelter. Interact（交流）with your pet a lot and get them used to a routine, and soon you’ll be one big happy family !Which of the following is the first important factor should be considered when adopting a pet?
| A．Think twice about the adoption. |
| B．Get detailed information about the pets. |
| C．Make full preparations for the coming pet. |
| D．Try to make the pet your family member. |
According to the article, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Both cats and dogs need walking and attention. |
| B．Both cats and dogs are human’s good partners. |
| C．All the animals in the shelter are in good condition. |
| D．It’s necessary to talk a lot with your new pets every day. |
Before a new pet comes home, we’d better ______.
| A．show concern for the animals |
| B．set down an agreement on paper |
| C．bring all the members to visit the shelter |
| D．get it adjusted to a new environment immediately |
The article is intended for ______.
| A．animal shelters | B．shelter staff |
| C．pet lovers | D．pet protectors |
A well-developed class website can save teachers a lot of time in the long run, improving both student-teacher and parent-teacher communication while providing a repository(储藏室) of all classroom documents for future use. Although some extra time during the school year is required, once the site is up it needs just minor adjustments each new year. Have a question? Get an answer from online technology support now.
Decide which type of software you will use to create a class website. Microsoft has many applications that can be used to create websites, such as Publisher, Word and Expression Web. Some web hosting sites also have simple editing tools you can use instead of a formal program.
Find a place to host your class website. Your Internet provider often provides about some small space for a personal website for free, and many other free website hosting companies are on the Internet.
Consider using a template（模版）for your first attempt at website design. Most templates also come with a selection of color and graphics already in place so you can concentrate on content instead of design. It will contain basic sections with your specific class information.
Add content to your website. You need to have announcement sections for both parents and students, a syllabus or class rules area, homework assignments or a calendar, and maybe a links section for learning more about in-class topics and playing educational games.
Decorate your website with graphics, clip art, background, cool fonts（字体）and other decorative items. It’s best to find a theme you like, such as ducks or fire hydrants, and make your design elements all stick with your theme. If you think that is too attractive, go for an abstract look. Remember to keep it simple since too much color and graphics make a site look busy and detract from its usability.According to the article, a class website is of great help in ______.
| A．playing computer games |
| B．storing class documents |
| C．communicating between students and teachers |
| D．reducing the teachers’ time to run the website |
When you first create your class website, you are advised to ______.
| A．buy a small space for the website |
| B．put all the class information on it |
| C．make it as appealing and colorful as possible |
| D．focus more on some details rather than design |
The best title could be ______.
| A．Advantages on Setting up A Class Website |
| B．Reasons for Setting up A Class Website |
| C．How to Decorate A Class Website |
| D．How to Create A Class Website |
The article is probably taken from a ______.
| A．novel | B．poster | C．magazine | D．guidebook |